


Under the Stars

by Queen_Martia



Category: Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gay, Hope you guys don't hate me, I am terrible at writing, I'm sorry for writing this, M/M, Multi, and straight, but mostly gay, canon is my bitch, seriously ooc at times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-06-23
Packaged: 2018-05-20 00:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5985700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Martia/pseuds/Queen_Martia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Collection of Wings of Fire one-shots for my darling readers. Various pairings are up and running. Note: This is now finished!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Do Not Fall In Love With Your Clawmate

**Author's Note:**

> Note: Several chapters were deleted after a... realization. I'm not entirely comfortable with glornami, due to my realization of the incestuous implications of it. While I adore each and every one of you who came to read.

"What are you drawing?"

Winter looked up from the portrait he was working on. Qibli was looking at him rather oddly. Winter scowled (though he didn't mean it) and shoved the parchment into his lap. "None of your business. Go back to what you were doing."

Qibli shrugged and whittled on the stick he had chosen. He threw one last curious glance back to the icewing before returning to his task.

Winter mentally sighed in relief. _That was close._ He picked his brush back up, gave it another dunk in the ink, and returned to his doodle- a very detailed sketch of Qibli, knife in his talons, face stuck in a thoughtful expression. The two were all alone in the cave, waiting for the other dragonets to get back; still, this was much closer than he'd normally allow a dragon to get to him. It was improper for an icewing prince to do this, and yet, he wasn't that concerned (so long as no one else saw them like this.)

Winter was just putting the finishing touches on Qibli's legs when he heard the sound of metal meeting scales, plus his clawmate's breath catching. Winter tossed down his drawing and rushed over to his friend (no, not friend- clawmate. Where did 'friend' come from?). There was a lot of blood coming an unseeable cut.

"How do you cut yourself whittling?" Winter grumbled, but he still grabbed the blanket off his bed to blot between the sandwing's claws.

"It's okay- I've been hurt much worse than this before. This is naught but a scratch." Qibli puffed up his chest, a smug smirk etched on his face. Winter tossed him a sceptical glare before blotting up the blood.

After a few minutes, the blood had been cleaned up enough so that the cut was visible. "It's spread across a few capillaries, but aside from stiffness, you should be fine." He tore a bit of the sheet off and wrapped the claws until the little blood that was still leaking was absorbed into the makeshift bandage. He heard a small cough above him. "Uh, Winter? Personal space?"

"Oh, right." Winter lifted his head, gazing (no, _looking_ , what was wrong with him?) into Qibli's eyes. Winter felt his face heat up at the look that the sandwing was giving him. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Qibli said with a nonchalant smile. "You're just really cute when you're playing nurse."

Winter smacked him.

"Ow! What was that for?" Qibli asked, a hurt look on his face. He pouted, but they both knew it was fake.

"I'm not cute!" Winter protested. "I am Prince Winter, nephew of Queen Glacier, and in line for the throne. I am most certainly not cute." He emphasized the last bit with a noble lift of the head, to which Qibli gave a little giggle.

"Ah, yes, forgive me, your cuteness." Qibli pulled the icewing closer, until Winter's back was pressed up against his chest. Winter blushed (shut up, it was an angry blush) and averted his gaze. His captor laughed and rubbed the top of his head. "Thanks for helping an old goof like me out. How do you know so much about wounds, anyway?"

"It's a required course in Icewing nobility. You never know when you'll be without a guard and need to patch yourself up."

"Oh."

Winter squirmed, trying to free himself from Qibli's claws, before giving up with a defeated sigh. "Any way I could get you to let me go?"

Qibli grinned, a mischievous look in his eyes. "Not a chance. I'd be lost without my healer." Winter hissed, but there was nothing there aside from irritation.

"I will freeze off your talons and force feed them to you." Winter tried to muster up all the aloof anger he could, to put on a brave front. Qibli gave him an odd glare.

"I honestly can't tell if you're serious about it or not."

Winter muttered a _no_ , curling in on himself stubbornly. Finally, with exasperation practically dripping in his tone, he asked "What will make you get off of me?

Qibli pondered the question for a moment, tapping his index talon against his chin. After a few moments, he gave a shy smile and said, "Maybe a date?"

The question caught Winter off guard. A _date_? Well, he was kinda cute. And he supposed that one date couldn't hurt. "Alright," he said, embarresment blooming in his belly.

The sandwing froze against him. "Oh. I, uh, didn't think that I'd get this far." He loosened his claws and Winter crawled out, his scales craving the warmth of- (shut up, he was not going to think about that.) Surprisingly, Qibli looked even more flustered than Winter felt.

Winter smirked at this new found knowledge, but he wasn't exactly going to use this for his own gain- not yet at least. "Saturday, the swimming pond, noon?"

Qibli simply smiled, unfreezing and grabbing Winter's talons in his own. "Thanks! Oh man, I have to go tell Ostrich!"

Qibli rushed off, leaving a tired and confused icewing in his absence. Winter sunk to the floor, his smugness quickly fading as reality, though not unpleasant (shut _up_ , me), set in . _Oh no,_ he thought, contemplating his options. _What have I gotten myself into?_ He flopped onto his bed in a tizzy, trying to think through all the pleasant imagery floating through his head. He stared at his claws, before holding them to his chest. He chuckled, defeated, "Well, at least he's cute."


	2. Thunderstorms Are Scary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more a crack ship than anything. It mostly stems from sorrow over lack of lesbian headcanons in this fandom, then just sorta sprouted into a full-blown ship. So, yeah.

Carnelian liked to think of herself as invincible. It made everything easier- intimidation, battle, conversation. Pretending that she was untouchable, undefeatable, unstoppable- it was a way for her to get what she needed. Sometimes, it even felt like pretending to be fearless made her fearless.

There was still one problem, though. She was scared of thunderstorms. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up.

Ever since she was a little dragonet, she’d been terrified of thunderstorms. She’d spent many a night huddled in a little ball while the storm raged outside, flinching as the roar of thunder cracked through the night. Her imagination would conjure up monsters that roared the thunder, gliding through the biting rains, lightning striking wherever their wings brushed the earth. Closing her eyes, she could almost see them, their white-hot eyes burning into her memory as they charged towards her, stopping as she opened her eyes.

It had gotten even worse once she entered the war. She could handle the violence, she could handle the fights, she could handle the orders and the weapons and the screams of dying dragons while in the middle of combat. But at night, the images came back to haunt her, getting worse whenever there was a storm. The faces of the dragons they killed that day joined in her imaginings, their cries of agony and suffering combined with the fierce roar of thunder. She knew it wasn’t real, she knew it was all her head, but that didn’t make things any easier. After a while, she had gotten over it, until it just made her anxious, but that only helped a little.

At first, when she arrived at the academy, the weather had been nice. Sunny days, windy days, cloudy days. Even a few damp, drizzly days. But no stormy days. Then again, they were on the desert side of the mountains, which didn’t often receive rain. But nonetheless, it seemed almost a blessing. Almost. She still needed to be out with her regiment, but for a mandatory assignment, this would have to do.

Which brought us to today. Carnelian’s winglet had gotten some free time, so she and the others were resting in their room. It was getting easier and easier as the days went by to spend time with them. Though they could be annoying at times, Carnelian had a grumpy fondness for them. It wasn’t calming, per say. More… comfortable silence. Like sitting around a campfire during off time.

Carnelian had just finished chapter seven when a mudwing she didn’t recognize walked in. Umber looked up and smiled. “Hey, Sora. What’s up?” he asked, stretching and getting to his feet.

Sora shook a little. “Nothing, I’m just nervous, that’s all.” She pulled his claws off her shoulders. “A storm’s on the horizon. It looks big.”

Umber moaned sympathetically. “That sucks, with your ears. You gonna be okay?”

Sora shrugged. “I don’t know. It might pass.”

Carnelian’s ears perked up. A storm? This wasn’t good. Sympathetic, she grumbled under her breath, “Maybe it’ll be muffled in the mountain.”

Sora nodded, skeptical. “Maybe.”

\---

Carnelian woke up to someone tugging on her arm. She growled lowly, pulling herself tighter together. “Whaddya want?”

A whimper. “Please, its too much, I c-can’t- just, please…” A deep breath. “Just- come with me.”

Slowly, she turned herself so that she could see the dragon bothering her. It was dark and hard to see, but the muddy scales matched with the little voice- it was that kid from earlier, Sora. “Look, I’m trying to sleep, so if you could-”

She was interrupted by a distorted rumble echoing through the walls, seeming to come from everywhere at once. Sora sobbed quietly and clutched her head, claws gripping tightly to her ears. Carnelian felt a pang of pity for the poor Mudwing, shivering and crying on the floor. “Alright,” she grumbled, crawling off her ledge. She grabbed Sora’s arm and pulled her up. “Let’s go.”

The two slowly made their way down the corridors, stopping every minute or so when Sora needed to cover her ears and breathe. As the two progressed to wherever Sora was taking her, they made small talk.

“So, you and I have something in common.”

“What’s that?” Sora asked, voice shaking slightly.

“A fear of thunderstorms.”

Sora chuckled darkly. “Well, that’s one thing.” Another rumble echoed through the caverns, making Sora grimace. 

After what seemed to be endless twists and turns, the two made their way out to an outcrop of rock looking out into the storm. It was easier here, where the wind helped drown out the growling of the thunder. Sora slumped down onto the stone, breathing too fast to be healthy. Carnelian sat down beside her. “Easy soldier, deep breaths,” she ordered firmly. “Deep breath in, hold, deep breath out, hold.” 

Sora did as she was told, slowing her breathing down to an even rate. She pulled herself into a tight ball and rubbed her eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured. “For helping me out with all this, I mean. I’m sorry, I know it’s stupid, but every time it thunders, I just…” She looked lost for a second.

“Collapse?” Carnelian volunteered.

Sora nodded. “That’s a good way of putting it, I suppose. You said this happens to you too?”

“Yeah,” she grumbled. She wrapped a wing around the other dragonet, pulling her close as another rumble of thunder rolled over the mountains. “We take this to our graves. Understand?”

Sora laughed-soft and fragile, but genuine. “Relax, your secret’s safe with me.” She shuffled around a little until she was comfortable under the other’s wing. Carnelian stayed at attention until Sora had fallen asleep, before relaxing and resting her head on the little Mudwing’s shoulder. She waited out the rest of the night together, holding Sora tight as the storm raged on.

\---

When Sora woke up, soft light was drifting in through the ledge.  _ Wait, our cave doesn’t have a window. _ As she lay there, trying to remember her circumstances, she noticed a presence at her side, a wing on her back, her talons entwined in someone else’s, warm breath on her neck. Slowly, so as not to disturb the sleeping dragon beside her, she managed to shift far enough so that she could see the dragon beside her. It was a skywing, the dragon she had awoken last night. 

She had thought it was Umber at first, when she had crawled shaking into the cave. When she had realized that she bothered the wrong dragon, she was going to just go to Clay before the Skywing had grabbed her arm and gotten her to a safe place. Sora had blacked out shortly after that, so the skywing had no reason to stay with her.  _ So why did she? _

Sora sighed softly and lay back down. Whatever the reason, she was grateful for what happened, and she wasn’t about to question it. She placed a soft kiss on the skywing’s wing, as a way of saying thanks. Then, gingerly, she lay back down and listed back into sleep.


	3. Problematic Yaoi Shippers

_Put simply, Winter and Qibli's first kiss was... not the most coordinated. The two had bumped horns, scraped scales off, and had fought for dominance in the kiss. After a few weeks of dating, however, they had it all worked out._

_Winter would often lead, coaxing the other dragonet forward. It would start out chaste, a simple brush of the two snouts. It would quickly become much more heated as Qibli pulled the ice dragon forward, digging his claws into the scales on his boyfriend's neck._

_Winter would lick at Qibli's closed snout, asking for permission to enter. Sometimes he'd oblige, sometimes not. When he did part his lips, Winter could feel the hot air chill as their mouths met. He would feel his heart stir as it grew heavier. Winter would take his lips off the other's to lick stripes down the Sandwing's neck, or to suck a small bruise into the other's scales, claiming him as his own-_

"Turtle? What are you writing?" Qibli's voice echoed down the hallway. Turtle quickly shoved the roll of parchment into his bag, just before his clawmate's head peeked over his shoulder.

"Oh, nothing," Turtle replied, latching his bag shut. "Come on, let's go to lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turtle wrote it, not me.


	4. The Trash Bags Are Trash

Blister couldn't stay still, but who could blame her? She felt as though there were hundreds of eyes on her, though she knew that she was safe, here in her bedroom. Her plan had gone off without a hitch- Mother was dead, the treasure was stolen, and all she had to do was get some pathetic queen on her side, and BAM! She'd be queen of the Sandwings. It was perfect, and she was protected under the guise of scavengers being the murderers, her sisters ignorant to the whole charade.

So why couldn't she relax?

Maybe it was the fact that Morrowseer hadn't returned yet. _Morrowseer,_ she thought sullenly. Her eyes scanned the shadows, hoping, almost begging to catch a glimpse of silver scales caught in stray firelight. But not even her keen senses could pick up any trace of him.

She couldn't fathom why he'd be late. Even after setting the horses towards the scavenger den, it couldn't have taken more than an hour to return. He had been her assistant in the plan, after all; shouldn't he be here to share in the spoils? He had been the one to set all the details into play, to offer an alliance in the upcoming war. Her friend, ally, and confident. And, most importantly, her lover.

Even though she wouldn't call it love, Blister did lust for the older Nightwing. The two would often spend many a night making plans in the warm room of the palace, voices hushed as they discussed the details. Often, they had stolen little moments to let themselves be distracted by the other's lips, claws, teeth, tongue, to enjoy the thrill of knowing what rules they were breaking.

Blister sighed, irritated. She couldn't distract herself now. She had to decide which nations would welcome her alliance. She already knew the Nightwings would agree once the time had come, and the Seawing queen offered an easy target for sympathy. Maybe the Skywings? Certainly not the Icewings; Morrowseer said that Icewings and Nightwings were sworn enemies.

As she contemplated her options, she heard the soft rustle of wing beats near her window. Morrowseer landed on the ledge, a smug expression on his face. "The bait is set. Soon, those fools will fall into our trap."

Blister hid her relief at seeing him alive under a cool mask. "Wonderful. You were most helpful with this." She flicked her tail back and forth, humming quietly. "Now, will you come inside?"

Morrowseer hopped off the ledge and onto a small pillow. Settling down quietly, he sighed contentedly. Blister moved closer to him, noticing small details that suggested he wasn't as composed as he claimed: the bags under his eyes, the soot on his claws, the ribs starting to show on his belly.

"Have you been eating these past couple days?" Blister asked, worried for him.

Morrowseer's smirk faltered for a minute before regaining his composure. "It's of no concern to you, princess. I will be fine."

Blister huffed. "It's my concern that you are healthy and safe. Here." She offered him a plate of roast camel meat she had taken from the kitchens. Morrowseer regarded the plate with skepticism, before his hunger set in and he began to eat. Even when devouring a meal, he still maintained an air of poise and control.

Once he was finished, he wiped his mouth with his claws and set the plate aside. He shuffled closer to Blister and placed a soft kiss on her jaw. Blister sighed softly and rested her forehead against his. "I'm glad that you're safe," she whispered. It was true that she was cold, but Morrowseer somehow always made her melt. ( _Make me melt? Now I sound like a bad poem Blaze writes about her crush of the week_.) In the heat of the room, with all its blankets and candles, it almost seemed like she was daydreaming. For all she knew, she probably was. Well, if it was a dream, she supposed she might as well make the most of it.

She gently pushed him to the blankets, crawling on top of him. "So," she asked, turning his jaw to hers, "Why don't we celebrate our little victory with some time to ourselves?"

Morrowseer nuzzled her jaw, licking at the black scales that marked her neck. "Yes, I agree." With a huff, he blew the candles out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw your canon, this is my story now.


	5. Chapter 5

Sora had never thought that Carnelian could be gentle. The first she had seen of the skywing was gruff hostility. Then, after the storm, Carnelian had refused to even be near her, even in the prey center or the library. Whenever Sora tried to seek her out, she somehow escaped. She had asked Umber’s friend, Moon, if she would read Carnelian’s mind, but she refused, saying that Carnelian’s privacy was important. Sora couldn’t help it- her curiosity had gotten the better of her. 

One night, she cornered Carnelian back on the ledge where the two had first gotten to know each other. She had expected anger, maybe disgust- after all, wasn’t that how Umber had been received in the Mudwing kingdom when he came out? Instead, she had gotten a kiss and a date by the lake.

The two often tried to hide when they spent time together. It was bad enough being the poster children of PTSD in the academy, and an inter-tribe couple at that, but there was also the fact that the teachers had already caught a few couples ‘entertaining themselves’ around the school and gossip spread like wildfire. Sora did not need that sort of attention, and neither did Carnelian. 

The two had quickly learned each other well. Carnelian did not like loud noises, they reminded her of the battlefield. When Sora was reminded of her sister, she was not to be disturbed. When Sora’s eyes were dull, she needed cuddles and kisses. When Carnelian’s wings drooped, it meant she was homesick. 

This morning, the two were fooling around in the back of the library, a sunny spot where you could stay forever and no one would find you. Carnelian’s breath tickled Sora’s neck, drawing a giggle from the mudwing. She smiled against her scales. “This is good?” she asked. In response, Sora brought Carnelian’s mouth to hers again.

Carnelian broke away first, chuckling. “Alright, alright.” She stroked Sora’s cheek softly, a wondering look on her face. “How did a sweetheart like you end up with a cactus like me?”

Sora laughed dryly. “Because we’re both messed-up veterans who hate the world.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“I don’t hate you either.”

Carnelian stared at her for a minute, a small smile playing on her face. She placed a soft kiss on Sora’s forehead. “You’re cute.”

Sora was about to respond when a scroll hit her head. She and Carnelian scrambled to stand and turned to face Bigtail, Sora’s clawmate. He glared at the two of them. “Just what do you two think you’re doing?”

Carnelian growled. “Rude.” 

Bigtail huffed indignantly. “I ought to tell Professor Tsunami what you two are doing.”

“Oh, like you would even try and speak up.”

“Go ahead, try me."

Sora stepped between the two of them, trying to diffuse the situation. “That’s enough, the both of you.” She intertwined her claws with Carnelian, turning to her girlfriend. “Come on, I’ll escort you to your cave.” As the couple went on their way, Carnelian shot one last withering glare in Bigtail’s direction, before hurrying off with Sora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made myself ship this. It hurts. Someone draw me fanart, please. I'll give you my soul for Soranelian fanart.


	6. The Besties Get Sweaties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moon thinks she knows Kinkajou. She does not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, Kinkajou knows about as much as I do when it comes to stuff like making out. She's new to this, but she's seen plenty of affection in the Rainwing village and is basically copying it.   
> Also, the two are about 15/16 in the story. I'm not writing twelve-year-olds giving each other hickies.

A lot of people thought they knew Kinkajou. They thought she was a ditz, a sweetheart, someone who couldn’t navigate her way out of a paper bag. She was the popular girl, the one who didn’t know when to shut up. She was stupid, illiterate, pacifist to the end, shallow, vacuous… the list went on and on.

Only Moon knew how wrong they all were. Kinkajou was sweet, yes, and a bit of a ditz, but she certainly wasn’t stupid. Kinkajou had a fast mind that tended to wander, but she would focus on a task and do it quickly. She didn’t complain, keeping any negative thoughts in her head. She was endlessly selfless, often giving the fruit from her claws to others who needed it more than she did.

That didn’t mean that she was spineless, though; quite to the contrary. She was stubborn when it came to getting what she wanted, digging her heels in and dragging it out until her prize was won. She often had a sharp retort on her mind to deflect any criticism, though not always out loud. Kinkajou may have been kind, but she wasn’t dumb.

Of course, having full access to your friend’s mind helped a little, but Moon mostly stayed out of it. She could see the depths in Kinkajou, rippling and soft, sharp and loud, and everything in between. As Turtle put it, Kinkajou was like an ocean- seemingly simple and easy to understand on the surface, but once you dive deeper, you find out just how wrong you were, just how complex and mysterious she was. No matter how far you dived, though, you always knew it was the ocean- nothing could change that.

Kinkajou was something truly amazing, and no one could ever truly understand her, not even herself.

\---

The two were at the lake, bored out of their minds, when Moon nudged Kinkajou. “What?”

Moon smiled. “Wanna play battle?”

Kinkajou sat for a moment, smiling deviously as a thought came to her. “No powers, right?” she asked, a (hopefully) innocent look on her face.

Moon nodded. “No fire or mind reading for me, no scales or venom for you. Flying is fair game.” She flapped her wings to emphasize. Kinkajou bowed her head and sized Moon up. Moon was a bit bigger than herself, certainly stronger, and more than likely had more battle experience. However, what Moon didn’t have was the wisdom that came from being trapped, from being cornered and having to escape. 

Kinkajou drew a large circle in the sand surrounding the two of them. The two prowled around the circle, baring their teeth and whipping their tails back and forth. Kinkajou waited for Moon to show a weakness, to let up in her defenses. After a moment, Moon’s wings lifted to reveal a soft spot on her shoulder. 

Kinkajou struck. She leapt at Moon, claws out. Moon was faster, however, and ducked underneath her. Kinkajou went sprawling. Moon jumped her, pinning her claws to the ground. Kinkajou growled and rolled them over, so that she was crushing Moon under her weight. Moon yelped and shoved her off, scrambling to her feet. The two took a moment to catch their breath, but nothing more.

This time, Moon charged at her, unfortunately leaving her wings open. Kinkajou repeated the move Moon had used and caught her wing this time, stopping her short and dazing her long enough for Kinkajou to retreat a bit off. Moon growled playfully and steadied herself.

The two wrestled for a few minutes, each gaining the upper hand at some point or another. Finally, they stopped mid-fight, trying to catch their breath. Kinkajou vaguely recognized that she was on top of Moon, arms thrown around her neck. Without thinking, Kinkajou leaned down and rested her forehead against Moon’s. She sighed, out of breath.

“What’s wrong?” Moon asked. Her breath mixed with Kinkajou’s. Her eyes were blue- not turquoise like the ocean, or robin’s egg like the sky. They were deep, dark as the clouds at dusk. Vaguely, she noted the little scar under her eye. She'd ask Moon about it later.

Kinkajou laughed a little, breaking the tension between the two. "You're just cute, that's all." She leaned down and nibbled the skin behind Moon's ear, humming contentedly.

Moon tensed. "What are you doing?"

_Oh no._ Kinkajou panicked for a second. She'd crossed the line, Moon would never forgive her, Moon thought she was a sicko, she- Moon sighed and grabbed her face firmly. "Calm down, Kinkajou. I don't hate you." She rubbed her cheek softly, prompting Kinkajou to lean in. "Just tell me why you did that."

Moon's encouragement gave her a sense of boldness. "You mean this?" she asked, returning to biting at Moon's scales. 

Moon's voice was strained this time. "Yeah. Why are you doing that? Also, please don't stop."

Kinkajou didn't answer for a minute, enjoying the little sounds she was able to draw out of the dragon under her. "I like you. I'm fairly certain you like me. We should date."

Moon frowned. "I've never dated before. I'm not certain you'd want to have me as a girlfriend."

"Yeah, neither have I."

"But then how did you-"

"Hey, the village isn't exactly celibate. Besides, young couples used to sneak down to the cells when the guards were on break and have some fun, if you know what I mean."

Moon's smile faded slightly at the mention her imprisonment. Even after Kinkajou had insisted she'd gotten over it, she still didn't believe her. To distract her, Kinkajou moved her pursuits from behind Moon's ear to her jaw, earning a surprised gasp. "Stars, this is better than it looks." Moon then pulled Kinkajou towards her mouth. "How about we do this instead?"

It was heavy at first, all teeth and sharp and heat. She pressed into Moon, biting and nibbling at her lower lip. After a moment, however, Kinkajou sensed that Moon did not like this at all. She pulled back and studied Moon for a second. 

This time, she was much softer in her technique, kissing with her lips instead of her teeth, and  _oh stars, this is good_. She moved her lips with Moon's slowly, sighing happily. And now Moon was sticking her tongue in her mouth and this was good, this was very good, as Moon licked softly at her cheek. Kinkajou pulled away and laughed. "I don't know what you meant about not wanting you. You're a natural at this."

Moon blushed, averting her eyes. "How would you know? You said it yourself, this was your first too."

Kinkajou smiled.  _She's adorable._

"I'm not adorable!" Moon pouted.

"Moon, do me a favor. Stop thinking." Kinkajou leaned back into Moon.

\---

"Pay up."

"I'm sorry, what?" Winter put his scroll down, confused.

Qibli gestured over to Kinkajou and Moon, who were cuddling happily on Moon's bed. "'I'll bet you my amulet that it'll take another month for them to hook up.' The month hasn't passed. Pay up."

Winter grumbled under his breath, unlocking the chest he kept the necklace in and handing it to Qibli. "I could've sworn that it'd take at least until vacation."

Qibli put the amulet on, puffing up his chest. The amulet was a soft amber that blended into his scales. "Well, maybe you don't know them as well as you think." He unclasped the amulet and handed it back to Winter. "Here- it looks better on you anyway."

Winter took back the necklace with a dry 'thanks'. He placed it back in the box gingerly, keeping his eyes on the young couple nearby. "Either way, at least we don't have to put up with the sexual tension anymore."

"You mean like ours?"

"Shut up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ship Kinkawatcher now. Kinkawatcher is cool.  
> Also, sorry for the long wait!


	7. Stop being cute!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blaze gets the gay fever, and Smolder gives terrible advice (for him). Featuring a small OC of mine!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by a certain friend's relationship that I am now regretting.

Thorn rubbed stubbornly at the cakey paint on her scales. "Is this really necessary? They all know I'm the queen."

Blaze pouted. "It is the duty of the Royal Family to groom and prepare themselves for an important meeting. And stop rubbing at it." She passed a soft cloth over the spots, smoothing and reapplying it until she huffed with satisfaction.

"So? This paint-"

"Makeup."

"This makeup feels like dried mud on my scales. And I thought the jewelry was bad." 

Blaze only whined in protest, before resuming her task. "Close your eyes." Thorn did as instructed and felt the brush go over the scales, marking its path in the ink.

She opened her eyes to find Blaze staring at her, fascination written on her face. "What?"

Blaze ducked her head. "It's nothing."

"Blaze."

"Wow, would you look at the time?"

"Blaze-"

"No time to talk! You have to go to that meeting! Go go go!" Blaze pulled Thorn into the throne room.

"Blaze, we're talking about this when I get back," Thorn huffed. She gathered her guards and took off."

"Well, see you when you get back! Bye-bye!"

* * *

Smolder was just starting a new chapter in his scroll when he heard a light rap at the door. He sighed and put down the scroll. "Come in." Blaze dragged herself in and threw herself down in front of her brother, groaning into the blanket. He patted her shoulder sympathetically. "Mind telling me what brought this on?"

"Thorn is too pretty."

"... Ok."

She pulled herself up and grabbed Smolder's face in her claws. "No, you don't understand. I'm supposed to be the pretty one. Thorn is the smart one. And today, we were doing her makeup, you know, to go talk to Queen Ruby- are you even listening?"

Smolder nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Go on."

"Where was I? Right, makeup, and when we were finished, she looked absolutely amazing, and my head got all fuzzy looking at her, and I just got all flustered, and- agh!" She threw herself back down. "It simply isn't fair. How do I stop feeling this way?"

"Ask her out."

Blaze's brain blanked for a moment. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me. Everything you described sounds like a grade-A crush to me."

Blaze pouted. "Fine. Maybe I will." With no small amount of moaning and groaning, she shoved herself up and staggered out the door.

* * *

Smolder was starting to regret his advice.

"How long do you think this'll last?" He asked the guard- Fennec, if he remembered correctly. 

She sighed. "The way they dote on each other, I'm just hoping it'll end soon."

Near the throne, Blaze and Thorn were tangled together, reading some piece of court literature that they ignored in favor of each other.

"Who's gonna tell the princess she'll have a new mom soon?"

Smolder groaned. "I'm hoping it doesn't go that far."

"You guys know we can hear you, right?"

"Shut up, sister dear."

Blaze pouted. "You hear that?" she asked Thorn. "Treason, I tell you."

"Agreed. What do you think of itching powder in their beds?"

"Perfect." Blaze reached up and pecked Thorn softly. "See, this is why you're the queen, and I'm just your trophy wife."

"Love, you're too sweet to be some trophy wife."

Across the room, Smolder and Fennec made gagging noises.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this is one of my fave lowkey ships. This may or may not become important in a later chapter.


	8. Congratulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter done fucked up.  
> No, really. This can't be undone.  
> (Someone just had to go and get into an affair with a sandwing visitor, and then share it with the world.)  
> (Yeah, this is written entirely for practice in angst.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess which song I was listening to while writing this.  
> (I refuse to give context)

Winter sat quietly in his room, staring blankly at the scroll in front of him. The scroll he had written and made sure that everyone could read. The scroll that ruined his reputation forever.

He heard the clicking of claws behind him. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Moon asked quietly behind him.

She said it quietly, not a hint of emotion in her voice. Eight simple, terse words. Yeah, he was dead.

"I did what I had to," he growled, setting down his quill. "If you had been in my position, then you would understand."

Dead silence.

"Moon-"

"No." 

"You don't know what-"

"Turn and face me."

He did as she asked. Her face was filled with quiet rage. She stalked over, her movements cold and precise, unnervingly controlled for the usually anxious Nightwing. Her claws scraped against his chin. "It wasn't enough to have the best woman; oh no, you just had to ruin her reputation with your affair, which, I might add, no one even knew about before." Moon bared her fangs. "And for what? Icewing honor?"

"They had accused me of underhanded deals!"

"And that was somehow more important?"

"It was a necessary sacrifice!"

"... Sacrifice?"

_Uh oh._

"I have lost my powers, my home, and the one I love more than anything. I look at you and think, 'moons, we have wasted our lives.'"

"... I know I fucked up."

Her laugh lacked any humour. "Really, an understatement."

The two sat in hurt silence for a while. For the first time since he published the scroll, he began to feel the grief emerging in his chest, strangling his throat.

"Moon?"

"I'm not here for you." 

He could here the sobs in her voice, and felt close to tears himself.

"I love Kinkajou more than anything in my life. I will choose her happiness over mine every time. She is the best thing in either of our lives." She spit in his face. "Never lose sight of the fact that you have been blessed with her."

He took a step towards her and reached out to touch her cheek. As his scales brushed hers, he felt a stinging on his face. Blue blood slowly dripped down his cheek, tasting of salt.

"Give her the best life. From now on, remember that what you do is for her. Every move you make is to help Kinkajou." She turned and stalked out of his room.

"Wait, Moon!"

"Congratulations." Then she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, this is a single chapter. It doesn't relate to any other chapter, don't worry.


End file.
